The Morning After Halloween
by ProudDyspraxicWriter
Summary: Jack goes to the Mayor's house to talk about his Halloween plans, but he isn't answering his door. Jack and the rest of the town are in for a horrible surprise.


**I was watching my new DVD that I got to Christmas, but during the Mayor's scenes, I felt that it won't ever be the same, knowing Glenn has passed away. So I wrote this for him. Glenn Shadix 1952-2010 RIP**

The Morning After Halloween

On the morning after Halloween, the pumpkin sun began to rise, shedding light upon the twisted town of Halloween. The beloved Pumpkin King, skeleton Jack Skellington, awoke from his well-earned slumber. Sitting up in bed, he stretched his long spidery arms and let out the first yawn of the morning. When he remembered the previous night's festivities, a proud grin crept along his skull. It had been his scariest, creepiest, nastiest, greatest Halloween celebration yet. Quickly dressing in his pinstripe suit, he headed over to the Two-Faced Mayor's house. He rang the bell and knocked hard several times but there was no answer. Worried, Jack cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.

" Mayor! I'm calling a town meeting! I need you to tell everybody!" He waited again for an answer. Like before, there was an unsettling silence in the air.

It wasn't like the Mayor to ignore him like that. In his bones, Jack could sense that something was wrong. He tried the door and was surprised to find that it was unlocked, so he let himself in.

" Mayor?" His voice was so quiet that he couldn't even hear it.

He spotted the Mayor's favourite armchair in front of a dying fire and his long top hat sticking out over the edge. Curiously, Jack stepped towards it and as it became apparent, the Mayor was not sleeping. Jack lowered his body to the floor to look at his motionless friend. He gazed upon the sullen blue expression of the second face, the eyes blankly staring into the fireplace, the mouth upturned into a perpetual frown.

" Mayor?"

000

The citizens of the town gathered at the town hall, Jack stood on the stage, his eye sockets sore from weeping as he watched them take their seats. In the back of the room, he could see Sally, her red hair long and beautiful, and she was wearing a concerned frown on her scarred face. That, for some reason he couldn't understand, made him feel he could start the meeting.

" You all came here today, expecting a reflection on this year's Halloween. But something's happened. Something tragic."

A cacophony of worried murmurs filled the hall.

" What's happened, Jack?" asked one of the witches.

The Pumpkin King heaved a miserable sigh, looking at each and every one of the townspeople, mentally apologising for what he was about to say.

" The Mayor…Our beloved Mayor has died."

The entire town gasped in unison. The children started to cry, refusing to believe this terrible thing. The adults stared at the skeleton, their mouths gaping open, the pain alight in their eyes.

" We have gathered here to honour his life," Jack continued. After a pause, with tears streaming down his cheekbones, he went on to say, " The Mayor was a good man, he was a great friend to all of us. He was like a brother to me and knowing he won't be around anymore, Halloween…or Christmas won't ever be the same."

The townspeople bowed their heads as a sign of respect, their eyes bleeding tears, their stunned faces turning into frowns of despair and hurt.

" He may have been a rubbish politician, but I'm sure going to miss his presence," the Corpse Dad admitted.

" Yeah!" his son agreed, wiping his sewn up eyes on his arm.

" He was funny, too," the Clown With the Tear-Away Face interjected. " He was always making us laugh."

" He always had a great big grin on his face," the leader of the vampires said.

" Not always!" his companion pointed out.

" But his two-faced ways was what made him so charming!" the Harlequin Demon cried, his voice shaky and crackly as he choked on his tears.

Jack raised his hands, indicating that he wanted silence. " The Mayor was all of these things and more. He may not have been that important to the Real World, but he brought us years of laughter and memories. Mayor, if you can hear this, we thank you for that. Enjoy your eternal rest. We love you and we'll miss you."


End file.
